CLEMSON – Thanks to Deshaun Watson in football in 2014 and Seth Beer in baseball in 2016, Clemson’s had a pretty good run of freshmen phenoms in recent years.

Doc Redman is doing everything he can to add his name to that list.

The men’s golfer is putting together a never-before-seen freshman campaign at Clemson, and he’s already drawn impressive comparisons to Kyle Stanley, a former Tiger great and PGA Tour tournament winner.

“I can compare him to Kyle, and I’ve told him that,” longtime Clemson head coach Larry Penley said. “(Redman) and Kyle have similar focus factors. They both have a plan. They both know what they want to accomplish. They both work extremely hard and they both love the game.”

Last fall, the Raleigh, North Carolina, native individually won both The Jackrabbit (his second collegiate tournament) in Valentine, Nebraska, and the Ka’anapali Classic in Hawaii.

Redman is the first freshman in school history to win two tournaments in a single season, much less the fall. He shot a combined 28-under-par in those victories.

His 54-hole score of 198 in Hawaii is a Clemson a record.

“I wanted to help the team any way I could and not just be in and out of the lineup,” Redman said about his early expectations. “I wanted to stay in the lineup and play as well as I could, and I just happened to play well enough to win twice.”

Clemson freshman golfer Doc Redman won the individual championship at the Ka'anapali Classic last November.(Photo: Courtesy of Clemson University)

Through six tournaments, including a fifth-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic in the first tournament of spring, Redman’s average score of 70.22 leads the team. He’s added six rounds in the 60s and owns three of the four lowest rounds shot by a Tiger this season.

Coming into this week's Palmetto Intercollegiate, he’s 23-under-par, which is eight strokes better than sophomore Bryson Nimmer, who had a notable freshman campaign a year ago.

No other Clemson golfer on a team ranked 16th nationally is under par for the year.

Monday, Redman shot a 65 at the Palmetto Intercollegiate, his third round of 65 or better this year. That tied the Clemson career record held by John Engler.

That is dominance by Redman, who Golfweek ranks 16th individually in the country. He’s one of just two freshmen and 28 golfers overall nationally to be named to the Ben Hogan Award Watch List.

“I thought all along coming in here I could compete, and I played well at the first tournament,” Redman said. “I had a few hiccups at the first couple of tournaments that really kept me from being on top and I always knew it was about finding your potential and playing the best you can.”

Penley isn’t sure what that is. He says there is no ceiling on Redman’s game.

“The sky is totally the limit,” Penley said.

Penley says his freshman loves to practice and experiment. He’s one of the most coachable players Penley’s ever had. And whatever they throw at Redman, whether it’s nutrition, weight room, academics, coaching, Redman soaks it up and wants more.

“That’s a lot of fun to coach,” Penley said.

On the course, Redman’s ball striking is his strength. Penley already considers him one of the best drivers in the country, and as he continues growing and getting stronger, Redman is learning to dial in his distances with his irons.

Penley loves Redman’s on-course demeanor and how he bounces back after a bad hole.

“My dad set a standard early on. Work at everything I do, school, golf, anything I put my mind to,” Redman said. “I don’t like finishing middle of the pack. I want to be ... prepared for every tournament, so I work hard at it.”

Before Redman even stepped on campus, something else stood out to Penley. Redman would consistently ask about the team. That mindset has carried over to his short time at Clemson, which has won three tournaments since Redman arrived.

“We’ve had some good team success, which is more important than anything I do individually,” Redman said. “It’s really been great. The guys have really helped out and pushed me to be better.”

The obvious goal for Redman is to become a professional golfer, and he does think he can be great at this game one day. In the meantime, he’s focused on improving his chipping and putting.

“You’ve just got to keep yourself in reality and know that it’s just about the next tournament and trying to win,” Redman said. “Unless you’re winning every week by 10 (strokes), you’re not too good, you’re not the best you can be. I’m just trying to be the best at every part of the game.”